Department of Natural Resources awards $278,000 to Carter County Public …

District will plan and design drinking water system improvements

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 11, 2024 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $278,000 low-interest loan to Carter County Public Water Supply District No. 1 for planning and design work related to the district's ongoing drinking water improvement project.

These funds will provide vital interim financing to cover early engineering and administrative costs while the district works with the department to secure a larger loan and grant funding package for their drinking water project. The larger construction project is expected to cost $5.8 million and is expected to start in 2025.

"The early planning phases of infrastructure projects often represent a significant financial burden for cash-limited communities with water and wastewater needs," said Dru Buntin, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "The goal of the planning and design loan program is to provide a cost-effective alternative to expensive private financing that will allow communities to develop and deliver vital infrastructure projects for their citizens."

These planning and design loans bear no interest and come with a five-year term. Funding provided by the department is estimated to save the district's ratepayers approximately $38,600 in interest over the loan's five-year term.

The department's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund finances improvements to water treatment plants, distribution systems, water storage and supply facilities, along with interconnection or consolidation projects. Communities that borrow from the fund benefit from the below-market interest rate and from assistance provided throughout their project from a project manager.

The department's Financial Assistance Center is committed to working with communities to assist with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. This project will be funded wholly or in part with monies received from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For more information on wastewater and drinking water funding opportunities, visit dnr.mo.gov/water/what-were-doing/state-revolving-fund-srf.